Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच पितामह महाप्राज्ञ युधि सत्यपराक्रम श्रोतुमिच्छामि कार्त्स्न्येन कृष्णमव्ययमीश्वरम्
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said O grandfather, O you of great wisdom and invincible prowess in battle, I wish to hear fully of Krishna who is immutable omnipotent.
यच्चास्य तेजः सुमहद्यच्च कर्म पुरातनम् तन्मे सर्वं यथातत्त्वं प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of men, tell me truly everything about his great energy and the great deeds performed by him in days of yore.
तिर्यग्योनिगतं रूपं कथं धारितवान्हरिः केन कार्यविसर्गेण तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Why did that powerful one assume the form of an animal, and that for performing what particular act? Tell me all this, O mighty warrior.
भीष्म उवाच पुराहं मृगयां यातो मार्कण्डेयाश्रमे स्थितः तत्रापश्यं मुनिगणान्समासीनान्सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: 'Formerly, on one occasion, while out on hunting, I arrived at the asylum of Markandeya. There I saw various classes of ascetics seated by thousands.
ततस्ते मधुपर्केण पूजां चक्रुरथो मयि प्रतिगृह्य च तां पूजां प्रत्यनन्दमृषीनहम्
M. N. Dutt: The Rishis honoured me by offering honey and curds. Accepting their adoration, I reverentially saluted them in return.
कथैषा कथिता तत्र कश्यपेन महर्षिणा मनःप्रह्लादिनीं दिव्यां तामिहैकमनाः शृणु
M. N. Dutt: What I shall recite was described there by the great Rishi Kashyapa. Listen with rapt attention to that excellent and charming throne.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.6 After 6, M1.6.7 ins.: *550 धर्मो हि भगवान्विष्णुर्वराहो यज्ञरूपधृक् तन्मयं च जगत्सर्वमात्मा सर्वस्य चात्मवान्
पुरा दानवमुख्या हि क्रोधलोभसमन्विताः बलेन मत्ताः शतशो नरकाद्या महासुराः
AI Translation: Formerly, the chief demons, full of anger and greed, intoxicated with power, hundreds of them, the great demons like Naraka and others,
तथैव चान्ये बहवो दानवा युद्धदुर्मदाः न सहन्ते स्म देवानां समृद्धिं तामनुत्तमाम्
AI Translation: And many other demons, invincible in battle, could not bear the supreme prosperity of the gods.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.8 After 8, Kumbh. ed. ins.: *551 नरकाद्या महाघोरा हिरण्याक्षमुपाश्रिताः उद्योगं परमं चक्रुर्देवानां निग्रहे तदा नियुतं वत्सराणां तु वायुभक्षोऽभवत्तदा हिरण्याक्षो महारौद्रो लेभे देवात्पितामहात् वरानचिन्त्यानतुलाञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
दानवैरर्द्यमानास्तु देवा देवर्षयस्तथा न शर्म लेभिरे राजन्विशमानास्ततस्ततः
M. N. Dutt: Oppressed by the Danavas and finding no peace, the gods and the celestial Rishis, fled away in all directions.
पृथिवीं चार्तरूपां ते समपश्यन्दिवौकसः दानवैरभिसंकीर्णां घोररूपैर्महाबलैः भारार्तामपकृष्टां च दुःखितां संनिमज्जतीम्
M. N. Dutt: The dwellers of heaven saw the Earth loO king like one one sunk in sore distress. Overspread with mighty Danavas of terrible countenance, the Earth seemed to be oppressed with a heavy load, Cheerless and grief-stricken, she seemed as if going down into the neither region.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.10 After 10, Kumbh. ed. Cv ins.: *552 गृहीत्वा पृथिवी देवी पाताले न्यवसत्तदा ततस्त्रैलोक्यमखिलं निरोषधिगणान्वितम् निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारमभूत्सर्वं समन्ततः
अथादितेयाः संत्रस्ता ब्रह्माणमिदमब्रुवन् कथं शक्यामहे ब्रह्मन्दानवैरुपमर्दनम्
AI Translation: Then the Adityas, frightened, said this to Brahma: "How can we, O Brahma, overcome the Asuras?"
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.11 After 11, Kumbh. ed. Cv ins.: *553 हिरण्याक्षेण भगवन्गृहीतेयं वसुंधरा न शक्ष्यामो वयं तत्र प्रवेष्टुं जलदुर्गमम् तानाह भगवान्ब्रह्मा मुनिरेव प्रसाद्यताम् अगस्त्योऽसौ महातेजाः पातु तज्जलमञ्जसा तथेति चोक्त्वा ते देवा मुनिमूचुर्मुदान्विताः त्रायस्व लोकान्विप्रर्षे जलमेतत्क्षयं नय तथेति चोक्त्वा भगवान्कालानलसमद्युतिः ध्यायञ्जलादनिवहं स क्षणेन पपौ जलम् शोषिते तु समुद्रे च देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः ब्रह्माणं प्रणिपत्योचुर्मुनिना शोषितं जलम् इति भूयः समाचक्ष्व किं करिष्यामहे विभो
स्वयंभूस्तानुवाचेदं निसृष्टोऽत्र विधिर्मया ते वरेणाभिसंमत्ता बलेन च मदेन च
AI Translation: The Self-existent One said to them: "This is the law that I have ordained for you. They were intoxicated with their boon, their strength, and their pride.
नावभोत्स्यन्ति संमूढा विष्णुमव्यक्तदर्शनम् वराहरूपिणं देवमधृष्यममरैरपि
AI Translation: The deluded will not know the unmanifest Vishnu, the god in the form of a boar, who is invincible even to the immortals.
एष वेगेन गत्वा हि यत्र ते दानवाधमाः अन्तर्भूमिगता घोरा निवसन्ति सहस्रशः शमयिष्यति श्रुत्वा ते जहृषुः सुरसत्तमाः
AI Translation: Having gone there with speed, where those lowest of demons are dwelling in thousands, hidden in the earth, having heard, they were pacified, the best of the gods rejoiced.
ततो विष्णुर्महातेजा वाराहं रूपमाश्रितः अन्तर्भूमिं संप्रविश्य जगाम दितिजान्प्रति
M. N. Dutt: Sometime after, Vishnu of mighty energy, assuming the form of a Boar, penetrating into the neither regions, rushed against those children of Diti.
दृष्ट्वा च सहिताः सर्वे दैत्याः सत्त्वममानुषम् प्रसह्य सहसा सर्वे संतस्थुः कालमोहिताः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that extraordinary creature, all the Daityas, in a body stupefied by Time, quickly proceeded against it for displaying their strength, and stood encircling it.
सर्वे च समभिद्रुत्य वराहं जगृहुः समम् संक्रुद्धाश्च वराहं तं व्यकर्षन्त समन्ततः
M. N. Dutt: Soon after, they all rushed against that Boar and caught it simultaneously. Filled with anger they tried to drag the animal from every side.
दानवेन्द्रा महाकाया महावीर्या बलोच्छ्रिताः नाशक्नुवंश्च किंचित्ते तस्य कर्तुं तदा विभो
M. N. Dutt: Those foremost of Danavas, of huge bodies, endued with mighty energy, swelling with strength, O monarch, could do nothing to that Boar.
ततोऽगमन्विस्मयं ते दानवेन्द्रा भयात्तदा संशयं गतमात्मानं मेनिरे च सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: At this they were stricken with wonder and fear. Numbering in thousands, they thought that their last hour had come.
ततो देवादिदेवः स योगात्मा योगसारथिः योगमास्थाय भगवांस्तदा भरतसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Then that Supreme God of all the gods, having Yoga for his soul and companion, became immersed in Yoga, O chief of the Bharatas, and began to roar terribly agitating those Daityas and Danavas.
विननाद महानादं क्षोभयन्दैत्यदानवान् संनादिता येन लोकाः सर्वाश्चैव दिशो दश
M. N. Dutt: All the worlds and the ten cardinal points resounded with those roars, which for this reason, agitated all creatures and struck them with fear.
तेन संनादशब्देन लोकाः संक्षोभमागमन् संभ्रान्ताश्च दिशः सर्वा देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः
M. N. Dutt: The very gods headed by Indra became terror-stricken. The whole universe became calm in consequence of that sound. It was a dreadful time.
निर्विचेष्टं जगच्चापि बभूवातिभृशं तदा स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव तेन नादेन मोहितम्
AI Translation: The world became motionless and extremely agitated at that time. The immobile and mobile beings were deluded by that sound.
ततस्ते दानवाः सर्वे तेन शब्देन भीषिताः पेतुर्गतासवश्चैव विष्णुतेजोविमोहिताः
AI Translation: Then all those demons, frightened by that sound, fell down, their life-breaths gone, deluded by Vishnu's brilliance.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.24 After 24, Kumbh. ed. ins.: *554 त्रस्तांश्च देवानालोक्य ब्रह्मा प्राह पितामहः योगेश्वरोऽयं भगवान्वाराहं रूपमास्थितः नर्दमानोऽत्र संयाति मा भैष्ट सुरसत्तमाः एवमुक्त्वा ततो ब्रह्मा नमश्चक्रे पितामहः देवता मुनयश्चैव विष्णुं वै मुक्तिहेतवे ततो हरिर्महातेजा ब्रह्माणमभिनन्द्य च
रसातलगतांश्चैव वराहस्त्रिदशद्विषः खुरैः संदारयामास मांसमेदोस्थिसंचयम्
M. N. Dutt: On account of those tremendous roars, Vishnu passed by the name of Sanalana.
नादेन तेन महता सनातन इति स्मृतः पद्मनाभो महायोगी भूताचार्यः स भूतराट्
M. N. Dutt: He is also called Padmanabha. He is foremost of Yogins. He is the Preceptor of all creatures, and their supreme Lord. All the sects of the gods then went to the Grandfather.
ततो देवगणाः सर्वे पितामहमुपाब्रुवन् नादोऽयं कीदृशो देव नैनं विद्म वयं विभो कोऽसौ हि कस्य वा नादो येन विह्वलितं जगत्
M. N. Dutt: Going there, those illustrious addressed the Lord of the universe, saying-What sort of noise is this, O powerful one? We do not understand it. Who is this one, ones or whose is this sound by which the universe has been stupefied. With the power of this sound or of its maker, the gods and the Danavas have all been deprived of their senses.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.27 After 27ab, K6 V1 B0.6-9 Da3.a4 Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.5-8 T G1-3.6 M1.5-7 Kumbh. ed. ins.: *555 तत्र गत्वा महात्मानमूचुश्चैव जगत्पतिम् After 27, Ś1 K1.2.4.6 V1 B0.6-9 Da3.a4 Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.5-8 T G1-3.6 ins.: *556 देवाश्च दानवाश्चैव मोहितास्तस्य तेजसा
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे विष्णुर्वाराहं रूपमास्थितः उदतिष्ठन्महादेवः स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः
M. N. Dutt: Meanwhile, O mighty-armed one, Vishnu in his Boar form came before the assembled gods, his praises lauded by the great Rishis.
Supplementary Passages:
12.202.28 After 28, Kumbh. ed. ins.: *557 पितामह उवाच दिव्यं * * * * * * युद्धमासीन्महात्मनोः हिरण्याक्षस्य विष्णोश्च सर्वसंक्षोभकारणम् जघान च हिरण्याक्षमन्तर्भूमिगतं हरिः तदाकर्ण्य महातेजा ब्रह्मा मधुरमब्रवीत्
पितामह उवाच निहत्य दानवपतीन्महावर्ष्मा महाबलः एष देवो महायोगी भूतात्मा भूतभावनः
M. N. Dutt: The Grandfather said That is the Supreme God, the Creator of all beings, the Soul of all creatures, the foremost of all Yogins. Of huge body and great strength, he comes here, having killed the leading Danavas.
सर्वभूतेश्वरो योगी योनिरात्मा तथात्मनः स्थिरीभवत कृष्णोऽयं सर्वपापप्रणाशनः
M. N. Dutt: He is the Lord of all beings, the master of Yoga, the great ascetic, the Soul of all living beings. Be silent, all of you? He is Krishna, the destroyer of all impediments.
कृत्वा कर्मातिसाध्वेतदशक्यममितप्रभः समायातः स्वमात्मानं महाभागो महाद्युतिः पद्मनाभो महायोगी भूतात्मा भूतभावनः
M. N. Dutt: That Supreme God of immeasurable sheen, that great refuge of all blessings, having performed a most difficult task that cannot be accomplished by others, has returned to his own pure nature.
न संतापो न भीः कार्या शोको वा सुरसत्तमाः विधिरेष प्रभावश्च कालः संक्षयकारकः लोकान्धारयतानेन नादो मुक्तो महात्मना
M. N. Dutt: He is the Ordainer. He is the Creating Principle. He is all-destroying Time. It is He who maintains all the worlds. These roars that have alarmed you are being uttered by that great one.
स एव हि महाभागः सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः अच्युतः पुण्डरीकाक्षः सर्वभूतसमुद्भवः
M. N. Dutt: Of mighty arms, He is the object of universal adoration. Incapable of deterioration, that lotus-eyed one is the origin of all beings and their lord.' He is the Ordainer. He is the Creating Principle. He is all-destroying Time. It is He who maintains all the worlds. These roars that have alarmed you are being uttered by that great one.